= Bulgarian Monarchs = A history of '''Bulgarian monarchs'''. <> ---- == Old Great Bulgaria == In the 7th century, a nomadic empire emerged on the Dniester and Volga Rivers (modern Ukraine and Russia). The empire was founded by '''Kubrat''' and disintigrated quickly after his death. ---- == First Bulgarian Empire == A son of Kubrat, '''Asparuh''' led the Bulgars towards the Danube River and warred against the [[WorldHistory/ByzantineEmpire|Byzantines]]. By making peace with '''Constantine IV''' in 681, the '''First Bulgarian Empire''' was established. Bulgarian emperors used the title ''tsar''. The capital was moved from [[Bulgaria/Pliska|Pliska]] to [[Bulgaria/VelikiPreslav|Preslav]] by '''Simeon I''' in 888. In their height of power, the First Bulgarian Empire seiged Constantinople in 923 and 924. '''Basil II''' "the Bulgar Slayer" commenced a massive war against Bulgaria and ended the empire by 1018. The realm was reorganized extensively, with a new capital in [[NorthMacedonia/Skopje|Skopje]]. ---- == Second Bulgarian Empire == '''Peter II''' (''Theodor-Peter'') and '''Asen I''' (''Ivan Asen'') launched a rebellion against the [[WorldHistory/ByzantineEmpire|Byzantine Empire]]. '''Isaac II Angelos''' made peace with them in 1187, establishing the '''Second Bulgarian Empire'''. It was sometimes known as the ''Empire of Vlachs and Bulgarians'', or the ''Bulgarian-Wallachian Empire''. The second empire was constantly subjected to invasion, sacking, and occupation by the [[WorldHistory/GoldenHorde|Golden Horde]]. The [[WorldHistory/OttomanEmpire|Ottomans]] pushed into Bulgaria during the 14th century. [[Bulgaria/Sofia|Sofia]] fell in 1385; [[Bulgaria/VelikoTarnavo|Tarnavo]] in 1393. By 1396, the Second Bulgarian Empire had ended. ---- == Principality of Bulgaria == The '''Treaty of San Stefano''' of March 3, 1878 proposed a large Bulgarian state. This was significantly walked back in the final [[WorldHistory/CongressOfBerlin|Treaty of Berlin]]. The new '''Principality of Bulgaria''' was nominally an [[WorldHistory/OttomanEmpire|Ottoman]] state but the local nobility elected their king. '''Alexander of Battenburg''', a nephew of Tsar '''Alexander II''', was chosen. ---- == Kingdom of Bulgaria == In 1908, '''Ferdinand I''' declared Bulgaria an independent state. He adopted the old imperial title ''tsar'' but styled it in translations as 'king'. Bulgaria participated in the [[WorldHistory/BalkanWars|First Balkan War]], and then started the Second Balkan War when the peace negotiations were disfavorable. Notably, [[NorthMacedonia/Democratization#Partition|Macedonia]] was split. Ferdinand abdicated after Bulgaria's loss in [[WorldHistory/WorldWar1|World War 1]] became evident. Following a 1934 coup by the [[Bulgaria/Zveno|Zveno]] corporatists and a 1935 counter-coup, '''Boris III''' ruled as an absolute monarch. He led Bulgaria into the [[WorldHistory/Axis|Axis alliance]]. [[Bulgaria/SimeonSaxeCoburgGotha|Simeon]] became king at the age of 6; his uncle Prince '''Kyril''' served as regent. The [[WorldHistory/SovietUnion|USSR]] soon pushed into Bulgaria and, thanks to a concurrent coup, took command over the country relatively peacefully. In 1946, the Soviets organized a referendum on the monarchy; it reportedly found that 96% of the population favored ending it. Simeon and his surviving family were deported. While Simeon would eventually return to Bulgarian politics in 1993, this was the permanent end of monarchical government. ---- == Dynasties == === Dulo === The '''Dulo clan''' founded both '''Old Great Bulgaria''' and the '''First Bulgarian Empire'''. They claimed descent from '''Attila the Hun'''. === Krum === === Cometopuli === === Asen === === Terter === === Smilets === === Borjigin === === Shishman === === Sratsimir === === Battenberg === ||'''Monarch'''||'''Reign'''|| ||Alexander ||1879 - 1886|| === Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Kohary === ||'''Monarch''' ||'''Reign'''|| ||Ferdinand I ||1887 - 1918|| ||Boris III ||1918 - 1943|| ||[[Bulgaria/SimeonSaxeCoburgGotha|Simeon]]||1943 - 1946|| ---- CategoryRicottone